Showdown is Dirt 3’s follow- up: not a spin-off, but more of a rock and roll alter ego, with the same great physics in a more playful, smash-stuff-up package. The game centers on three main modes: racing (including figure-of-eigh) demolition (for fans of whiplash) and ‘hoonigan’ (a sub-brand of Ken Block’s gymkhana series). The game will be put for sale in May and it’s looking promising. The action is intense, the constant damage is unhealthily satisfying, and it can all be enjoyed in slow-mo with the post-match ‘crashback’ replays, all set to a dubstep- meets-metal soundtrack. In the past, for all their on-screen chaos and carnage, games like Destruction Derby could leave you feeling a bit numb. But with the accurate, involving dynamics we loved so much in DIRT 3, plus World-class scenes and graphics – and huge multiplayer/online potential — Showdown really sucks you in. The ultimate hangover cure.
